Operating means for hand tools adapted for use in relatively inaccessible or cramped locations



A. BARBAGELATA Aug. 22, 1950 2,519,536

' OPERATING MEANS FOR HAND TOOLS ADAPTED FOR USE IN RELATIVELYINACCESSIBLE 0R CRAMPED LOCATIONS Filed Dec.v 12, 1945 I INVENTOR.AAGELO BAR5AG'ELA7J4 Patented Aug. 22, 1950.

, ED s PATENT OFFICE OPERATING MEANS FOR: HAND TOOLS ADAP'EEDFQRJJSE INRELATIVELY IN- AGCESSIBLEOR CRAMPED LOCATIONS 'Angelo Barbagelata.Mat-await, N. J. ApplicatiomDeceinber 12, 1945, Serial No. 634,466-

The invention relates. a; hand tools and. more particularly to meansiormanually operating-the same.-

The. object of the invention i s to provide an operating meansof simpleandsturdy construc-' sion of a novel hand tool particularly adapted foruse in more. or less inaccessible locations or in placeswhere.continuous rotative operation of the tool. is. impossiblei I Astill'further. object of-theinventionv istoprovi'd'ea hand tool of theindicatedtype which may be readily converted intoa doubleor T wrenchhandle at the willof the'operator.

Other more. specific objects will. appear from the descriptionhereinafter, and the features of novelty will'be pointed-out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates an. example of theinvention without defining its limits. A g V Fig- 1 is a plan view ofthe-novel operating means, V l i Fig. 2 is. an elevation of. the noveloperating means combined with a predeterminedtool, and

I Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the noveloperatingmeans.

As shown in. the drawing, the novel operating means comprises a memberhaving a circular body 5 including an. internal chamber 6 and an annularflange l surrounding. the chamber 6 and projecting inwardly relativelytheretoas shown in Fig. 3. The flange: l is provided. at spacedintervals. with open-ended notches 8 located in pairs. indiametrically-opposed relationand extending downwardly into the-upperportion of the body. 5' as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The body 5'includes adownward extension 9 which is continued. in theform. oi astem In constituting part of the wrench or.) other tool with pthe openingandisrprovided with annular grooves scams". (c1. al -177 l9and 20- located in spaced relation to each other upon the. outer surfaceof the handle 18. The

member I i further maybe provided with a detent for cooperation with thenotches l9- and 2|] to position the handle I8" in the member I! as-willbe more fully described hereinafter. In theillustrated. example, thedetent comprises a spherical ball' 2| resiliently urged toward thehandle H! by nieansof. a spring 22 mounted in a cavity 23 formed. in themember II for this purpose. In the illustrated construction, the chamber6 is provided with a. bottom comprising anannular concave channel 25surrounding a. portion providing. a bearing surface upon which themember or head I I rotatively rests.

The channel 24 provides space to enable the handle 5.8.to be shifted tothe inclined position illustrated in Fig. 3 and thereby. provides for.the

adjustment of said handle into and out of suchandle to be. used as alever for rotatively actuati'ng the'tool of which theoperating meansconstitutes a part. If desiredor found necessary, the

handle [8 may extend diametrically through the head H and throughdiametrically-opposed notches 8. so as to project in oppositedirections.

beyond the operating. means as shown in Figs. 1 andZ to therebyconstitute a double handle. In the event that complete rotation of thetool on its. axisfby. the'handle L8 is impossible because of interveningobstructions, the handle may be withdrawn. in the direction of. its axisa sufiioient distance to enable it to be elevated. to the inclinedposition shownin Fig. 3 and then shifted. into a succeeding notch 8 byrotating the member. or head. [I on its axis until the handle. isregisters with said succeeding notch. 8. lhe handle may then bedepressed and.- againmanipulated torotat'e the tool through.anotherstep. This procedure is repeated to brin about a. step by steprotatiomof the. tool. throughout the period ;required to complete theoperation being performed thereby. The same result may be obtained bysimply positioning the handle in. one notch 8 and. omitting axialadjustment of said handle to shift it. into diagrammatically-opposednotches a. The adjustment. oi the. handle id to its inclined" positionto enable said handle tohe shiftedlinto. successive notches 8 is madepossible by the. concave channelZdand the elongated slots ll formed bythe flaring opposite ends of the opening as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

With the novel operating means, it is easy to convert the tool, such asa wrench of which the operating means forms a part, into a double or Twrench handle by simply shifting the handle relatively to the member lluntil it extends diametrically in opposite directions from said memberas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for instance, when the detent 2i engages thegroove 29. When the rod I8 is in position to constitute a single handle,it

is maintained in this position by the engagement of the detent 25 withthe groove '19.

The novel operating means, when combined with a tool, enables the toolto be used in confined spaces or in more or less inaccessible places aswill be apparent. At the same time, by merely shifting the position ofthe rod I8 in the member II' and locating it-in twodiametrically-opposednotches 8, the tool with which the operating meansis combined becomes an efficient 'double or T wrench handle or otherimplement. The novel operating means may be combined with existing toolsby welding or otherwise con- 'necting the stem or" said operating meansto a shank of said tools.

Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with apreferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications andvariations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the inven- 'tion, as those skilled in the art will readily un-"derstand. Such variations and modifications are considered to be withinthe purview and scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. Tool operating means comprising a memher having an axial stemprovided with an axial passage and a continuing axial bore, said passagehaving a smaller diameter than said bore to define a'shouldertherebetween, a cylindrical body located at one end of said stem andincluding an internal chamber having a bottom consisting of a bearingsurface and an annular concave channel surrounding the same, an annularflange surrounding said internal chamber and provided with spacedopen-ended notches located in bore and having an outside diameter whichis larger than the diameter of said passage, said sleeve engaging saidshoulder to prevent axial movement of said head, said head, rod andsleeve being rotatable as a unit in said stem, a handle rod slidablymounted in said transverse opening of said head and provided with spacedcircumferential surface grooves, said rod being adjustable angularlyrelatively to said head for shifting into successive notches toconstitute a handle whereby said member is rotatively actuated inintermittent steps, and a resilient detent cooperating with said surfacegrooves to yieldingly maintain said handle rod in operative position onsaid head.

2. Tool operating means comprising a member having an axial stemprovided with an axial passage and a continuing axial bore, said passagehaving a smaller diameter than said bore to define a shouldertherebetween, a cylindrical body located at one end of said stem andincluding an internal chamber having a bottom consisting of a bearingsurface and an annular concave channel surrounding the same, an annularflange surrounding said internal chamber and provided with spacedopen-ended notches located in pairs in diametrically opposed relation toeach other, a head in said chamber rotatably supported on saidbearingsurface and having a transverse opening one end of which flaresoutwardly, a rod extending from said head through said axial passage andterminating in said axial bore, a sleeve fixed on said rod in said axialbore and having an outside diameter which is larger than the diameter ofsaid passage, said sleeve engaging said shoulder to prevent axialmovement of said head, said head, rod and sleeve being rotatable as aunit in said stem, a handle rod slidably mounted in said transverseopening of said head and adjustable angularly relatively thereto forshifting into successive notches to constitute a handle whereby saidmember is rotatively actuated in intermittent steps, and cooperativemeans on said handle rod and head whereby said handle rod is movablymaintained in operative position on said head.

3. Tool operating means comprising a member having an axial stemprovided with an axial passage and a continuing axial bore, said passagehaving a smaller diameter than said bore to define a shouldertherebetween, a cylindrical body located at one end of said stem andincluding an internal chamber having a bottom consisting of a bearingsurface and an annular concave channel surrounding the same, an annularflange surrounding said internal chamber and provided with spacedopen-ended notches located in pairs "tatable asa unit in said stem, ahandle rod slidably mounted in said transverse opening of said head, andsaid handle rod being adjustable angularly relatively to said head forshifting into different notches to constitute a handle whereby saidmember is rotatably actuated in intermittent steps.

4. The combination of a tool operating member, a body located at one endthereof, an annular flange on said body provided with spaced, open-endednotches located in pairs in diametrically opposed relation to eachother, a head rotatably combined with said body and having a transverseopening one end of which flares outwardly, a handle rod slidably mountedin said transverse opening and adjustable angularly relatively theretofor shifting into different notches to constitute a handle whereby saidmember is located in pairs indiametricall opposed relation to eachother,'a head mounted at said one end of said member for rotationrelatively to said annular flange and having a transverse opening oneend of which flares outwardly, a handle rod slidably associated withsaid head in said opening and angularly adjustable relatively thereto 5for adjustmentinto difierent notches to thereby couple said annularflange and head together, said handle rod being longitudinallyadjustable to extend in one direction radially outward from said headand flange to constitute a single handle 1 by said head in engagementWith the member to prevent movement of th head axially relativelythereto while said handle is being adjusted and manipulated.

ANGELO BARBAGELATA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,150,042 Kuhn .l Aug, 17, 19151,209,658 Baltzley Dec. 26, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date17,469 Great Britain Aug. 20, 1908 450,273 Germany Oct. 3, 1927 641,179France Apr. 10, 1928 4,570 Australia Oct. 19, 1931

